Table of Contents
- What Is The Best Rat Trap in 2020?
- Keep Rats Out
- Consider Getting Rat Traps
- 1. Made2catch Classic Metal Rat Trap – Editor’s Choice
- 2. Havahart 0745 One-Door Animal Trap – Humane Trap For Rats
- 3. Tomcat Rat Snap Trap – Patented Interlocking Teeth
- 4. Rat Zapper Classic Rat Trap – No Touch, No View
- 5. Guarden Rat Traps – Best Indoors & Outdoors
- 6. Victor M144 Power Kill Rat Trap – Instant Kill
- 7. Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap – For Quick Trapping
- 8. Pest Control Rat Traps – Best Safe & Hygienic
- 9. Tomcat Rat and Mouse Killer Disposable Station – Kid & Dog Resistant
- 10. The Amazing Humane Rat Trap with Starter Bait – Perfect for Animal Lovers
- Buyer’s Guide
- What Is The Best Rat Bait For Traps?
It’s the stuff of nightmares for many people. Seeing a rat or even rat droppings in or around the house is enough to set almost anyone’s heart racing. Rats have been the object of fear and revulsion for centuries. They are well known as transmitters of diseases, and they have been known to bite or scratch people and pets.
What Is The Best Rat Trap in 2020?
Keep Rats Out
If you believe that you have a rat problem, then the first thing to do is to figure out how they are getting into your home or office. Sealing up these entrances, which may be as small as the diameter of a quarter, will prevent any rodents from entering the premises. It also may be important to tidy up the yard, make certain that all trash cans have tight lids and trim trees back from structures so that they don’t touch.
Consider Getting Rat Traps
Once you start looking, you’ll quickly realize that you have many options for rat traps. Some of them are designed to instantly kill pests. Others are entirely non-lethal. You may not be bothered by the sight of a dead animal, while someone else may never want to see what the trap has accomplished. There is something on this list for all of these preferences.
1. Made2catch Classic Metal Rat Trap – Editor’s Choice
- LONG TIME PROVEN SNAP TRAP DESIGN - Heavy duty snap rat trap with...
- DURABLE AND REUSABLE - Made of durable and long lasting fully...
- QUICK AND HUMANE KILL - The trap captures and kills rats quickly...
- Adjustable sensitivity on the trigger
- Quality construction with durable materials
- Strong trap for a quick kill
- The strong spring can make it hard to set the trap
- Design makes it easier for people to hurt themselves during setting and maintaining of the traps
2. Havahart 0745 One-Door Animal Trap – Humane Trap For Rats
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All internal edges on the inside of the trap are smooth to minimize the opportunities for the trapped animal to hurt itself. On the top of the trap, you’ll find a convenient handle that makes it easy to carry the trap elsewhere. This metal trap is designed to resist rust and corrosion so that it can be used for years. The manufacturer recommends taking the captured animal a minimum of two miles from the site of capture.
FYI: Fly Traps Top 6.
How To Use Havahart 0745 (Video)
- A humane alternative to death
- Traps are easy to set up
- Reliable trapping
- A little expensive
- May not be quite big enough to catch the largest rats
3. Tomcat Rat Snap Trap – Patented Interlocking Teeth
- Effectively kills rats
- Powerful, aggressive design is effective and easy to use
- Sets by hand or by foot
- Powerful spring action
- Easy to set up
- The bait cup is so small that some consumers lose it
- May not be as effective on larger rodents
4. Rat Zapper Classic Rat Trap – No Touch, No View
- Cleanly, quickly and humanely kills mice and rats with a strong...
- Easy to use. Insert batteries, bait, turn it on, Place, and relax
- Hands-free "no touch, no view" disposal reduces "yuck" factor of...
With a light on the exterior of the enclosed trap, it’s easy to see when a rodent has been trapped or when the batteries are getting low. The bait is placed in the back wall of the compartment, which lures the rodent onto a set of metal plates. Once triggered, the plates deliver 8,000 volts of electricity for two full minutes. This ensures a quick death. Users can then open the door on the trap and tip the contents into the garbage. It’s a quick, efficient and sanitary system.
- Users never have to see or touch the rodent
- Easy to bait
- Humane, easy kill
- Expensive
- Can only be used indoors
5. Guarden Rat Traps – Best Indoors & Outdoors
- RAT TRAPS THAT WORK - Quick and easy to set, these extremely...
- DON’T RISK RAT POISON - Rats and other rodents can destroy your...
- NO TOUCH EMPTYING - With a removable bait cup, and simple to use...
- Affordable
- Large jaws are more likely to immediately kill victims
- Some users note that really large rats are not always killed by these traps
6. Victor M144 Power Kill Rat Trap – Instant Kill
- Designed for Rats - Traps rats with a simple, straightforward...
- Quick & Effective - Once a rodent interacts with the pedal, the...
- Higher Catch Rates - The trap features an oversized trip pedal...
- Material does not hold stains or odors
- Oversized pedal that surrounds the bait cup ensures a victim every time
- Some users find the traps difficult to re-set after they have been sprung
7. Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap – For Quick Trapping
- Designed for Rats - Traps rats with a simple, straightforward...
- Quick & Effective - Once a rodent interacts with the pedal, the...
- Time-Tested Performance - Our original wooden snap trap has been...
- Extremely effective traps with a solid design
- Affordable
- Each trap can only be used once
- Finger injuries more likely due to strong, sensitive trigger assembly
8. Pest Control Rat Traps – Best Safe & Hygienic
- Reliable And Sanitary Pest Control - Free your home from unwanted...
- Set It And Forget It - Say goodbye to ineffective, exterminator...
- Successfully Capture Rats – No Escape - Forget about false...
Bait loads easily from the bottom so that you won’t have to risk hurting your fingers. When the trap claims a victim, carry it over to the garbage, squeeze the end of the trap and drop the rodent into the garbage. Rinse off with water and reload the bait to use again. Rodents weighing as little as 15 grams can set off the traps.
- Sanitary
- Loading bait is easy and safe
- Powerful spring makes for a quick, merciful kill
- Some users had trouble with the traps randomly snapping shut without being triggered
- Smaller mice may not trigger the spring mechanism
9. Tomcat Rat and Mouse Killer Disposable Station – Kid & Dog Resistant
- Disposable station is resistant to tampering by kids and pets and...
- Effectively kills rats and mice while providing the highest level...
- Station is resistant to tampering by kids and dogs
The enclosed rat bait station has tamper-proof security measures in place to ensure that only smaller rodents will be able to access the poison. Bait blocks weighing 30 grams are loaded into the station. Each block has the potential to kill three rats. A clear window in the top of the unit allows consumers to monitor the bait.
- Easy to load
- No chance of hurting fingers
- Opening may be rather small for accommodating larger rats
- Must be placed with extreme care beyond the reach of kids and pets
- Not a quick kill; the poison works over the course of at least two days
10. The Amazing Humane Rat Trap with Starter Bait – Perfect for Animal Lovers
- ✅ INCLUDES STARTER BAIT - Release animals caught...
- ✅ NON-TOXIC AND SAFE FOR KIDS AND PETS - Can be used with any...
- ✅ ALUMINUM LIGHT WEIGHT - Extremely resistant to rust and...
- Totally humane solution that does not kill the animal
- Can use any bait, even non-toxic ones
- Designed for repeated use
- Not designed for smaller rodents, which may not weigh enough to trigger the metal plate
- Some users say that the trap seems lightweight for catching larger animals
Buyer’s Guide
Choosing the best rat trap is a highly personal decision. Some people merely want to relocate the pest species because they intensely dislike the idea of killing another living being. Others have no difficulty with killing rodents, particularly if there’s a good chance that the pests spread diseases.
It’s best to be vigilant and act quickly when you suspect that rats or similar rodents are settling in or near your home. This minimizes your exposure to these pests and protects your family, food, and property. An important first step is to seriously consider whether or not you’re willing to kill the animals that are plaguing you.
Choosing a Lethal Option
If you don’t believe that you are capable of drowning or otherwise directly killing an animal, then a lethal trap may not be the right choice for you.
Is Poison the Right Method?
Another lethal option is to go with poison. Only one such option is presented on this list, and this one is included only because it is specially designed to resist the efforts of kids and pets to tamper with it. Still, the manufacturer recommends placing the bait station in a spot that children and domesticated animals are unable or unlikely to go.
Options That Don’t Harm the Animal
The non-lethal options presented on this list are an excellent choice for those who do not want to cause any animal to suffer. These methods are akin to catch and release fishing, except that you will be releasing the animal at a sufficient distance from your property. A good rule of thumb is between three and five miles.
This catch and release method may seem a bit more time consuming than lethal methods. For some people, it is still the only choice as they cannot picture themselves intentionally being the cause of an animal’s death.
Take Care During Transport
Safer for Pets and Desirable Wildlife
Another reason to choose a non-lethal rat solution is that these cages do not harm pets, birds or other desirable wildlife. While any animal could potentially be injured by a snapping rat trap, the same cannot be said for catch-them-alive traps. If you’re really concerned about other animals in your area, then this is the way to go.
Always Read Instructions
Be Careful!
Setting rat traps can be a dangerous affair. Again, it is critical that you always read and follow instructions to avoid hurting yourself. People have actually broken their fingers by getting them stuck in a trap.
Choose the Best Rat Trap
What Is The Best Rat Bait For Traps?
I would like to talk about why you shouldn’t use peanut butter or spreadable cheese like Velveeta, or the stuff you get in the aerosol can, why you shouldn’t use this stuff on your mouse and rattraps as bait. Now, to start with the reason most people generally use peanut butter is convenience. You just stick your finger in the jar or a knife, however, you’re going to do it, smear it on the bait pan on the trap, set the trap. You’re done.
So why you should not use peanut butter?
I’ve had other people say they use two-faced tape and stick it on the wall, and supposedly that helps for the rattraps. I didn’t even bother trying that one. That one just didn’t sound quite right to me. The thing is, it’s just there are a lot better ways to bait the trap than use peanut butter. Now, also the spreadable cheese, the same thing people use that is a convenience, but there’s also this myth that mice and rats go crazy over cheese. That is a myth. That is something that was started in the cartoons many, many, many years back.
Use food for cat or dog!
I actually got a doubleheader one time. I had one of those chicken wing tips tied on the trap, go out the next morning, and the trap went off and got two rats at once.
When you’re at the grocery store you can get those little sample bags for a dollar. That’s probably enough bait for your traps for a lifetime. Because the nice thing is once you catch a rodent, you just reset the trap. Generally, the bait stays on. Now, if you don’t have access to that, don’t want to go buy it, I have seen people use candy. Just don’t use something like soft chocolate, which, once again, they could lick off.
Well, if you have any suggestions about particular bait that you’ve tried on a trap and it worked great for you, go ahead and leave a comment below.
I am Tanya Latty, a professor of entomology and ecology at the University of Sydney. I have been working in these fields for many years, with a particular interest in social invertebrates like bees and ants. I enjoy spending time outdoors observing nature. When not doing research or teaching, I love to read books about insects!